Final Fight

Review

by Anthony Baize

Final Fight for the Super NES could have been a great game, but it's obviously a lazy, first-generation port that was meant to sell based on the name alone. You'll notice the laziness right after the title screen. Whereas the arcade version has three playable characters, the Super NES version only has two, with Guy being the casualty. Guy could have easily been included in the game, and should have been. The laziness is also evident in the fact that the game is one-player only and in the total lack of options; the only thing you have a say over before the game starts is which character you want to play. Even though the Super NES version of Final Fight is substantially the same as the arcade version, the developer laziness strips a lot of the game's heart and soul away.

Final Fight's graphics are not arcade-perfect. Characters seem to have about the same amount of animation frames, but everything else has been downgraded considerably. The characters are slightly smaller and have less detail than their arcade counterparts, while the backgrounds have likewise been downgraded through the simplification of interactive objects and less important background scenery. The characters and backgrounds look decent enough for a Super NES game, though not good enough to make you take notice.

Unlike the graphics, the game's sound and music are arcade perfect. All the voice clips and sound effects from the arcade are present in the Super NES version, and sound quite good to boot. In fact, the Super NES music is better than the music in the arcade version. Whereas you had to listen to weak and tinny music in the arcade version, the Super NES songs are much stronger and have a satisfying amount of bass.

If you've ever played Final Fight in the arcade, then you know what to expect. Hordes of bad guys coming at you from both front and back, keeping the action constant and fierce. But you'll also find plenty of opportunities to apply some t strategy as you try to maneuver to keep enemies pounding you into pulp from both sides. Like the arcade version, this game manages to balance the initial thrill of action with long term interest by introducing lots of different enemies in different patterns. This version is a bit more difficult than the arcade version though, as weapons aren't as plentiful and your life bar is smaller and tends to go faster. On the plus side, the Super NES version throws less enemies at you at once than the arcade version, probably because the graphics engine couldn't handle more. So it evens out in the end.

For those who never played Final Fight in the arcade, this game is an acceptable and enjoyable substitute. On one hand, it more or less accurately recreates the Final Fight enjoyable experience at home, but it's also a lazy port, and fans of the arcade version will find their enjoyment of the game tempered by that knowledge.